Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-08
HIS FAILURE.

Poor Richard Rehf' | know how every
hone died Within his soul"
Iie pushed back the heap ~ manu.ctlpt
before him ~ ne SAID this aUd, f"sting his
weary head on hi, hini, 81 looking out
upon the street,
Tie was 1" born unto singing" hut to-day
no couli not utter what heaven had
breathod into his soul, LOT the lurdon
lay soroly upon him. Lately 1t had been 40,
that whom tho heart chords were swept by
the unseen master hand, aud his s,ul essayed
to sing the refrain the mellow measures
trembled forth, only to fslter before tho un.
appreciated, aud Abe golden notes died amid
the jeers OF the &ossrdly creature of spite
Long no sat at his desk, consulting his over.
burdened heart should he 90 on and DO
bu1eted by ridiculo longer lie did not
know 1t seemed TO be his duty 10 row
NJ anst tho tide, bat oh ! II was hard. Some,
he was aware, coun ed It strengthening to
genius to battle and endure, aud no onvied
thom. lie believed he could battle aud do
brsvely but not alone, he was afraid he had
not the vim to withstand tho contrary cur
rents. Those who should have held up his
hands by words OF encouragement stood
aloof and looked on with unconcern. Others
who might have made his world oi thought
to bud and bloom, passed 10y on the other
side with upiitted eyes, not meaning to waste
their high nightinoss on a struggling aspir-
ant, aud there wero none 10 lend helping
hand.
All yes he would give 1t mp, aud write
tho word failure above tho problem OF his
mission, and leave II unsolved. 1t would be
hard task certainly 10 say To the sweet
wellspring oi song Within, "thus far, and
no farther" but IL would be harder still to
have it- crystal waters lose their purity ON
the rocks of Marah, over which they must
low.
Yes no wonh,@all Ia this beautiful sum.
mer sea, and grow careless and ptssionless
and send his supersensitiye soul to school to
the cynical prosaio. lie would slip down
from the round OF tho ladder 10 which no had
clung In desperation slipd to the blank.
ness OF the monoiorous levels
No one would disturb him there, and he
believed he must bo one Of those who run
we'll for season only no matter, no would
try and forget tho rose. .wrUathe cd gates OF the
glorious land Of song we're ever ai ar for him.
Why should be rememberI
lie pushed tho inoneuding manuscript
which some busy editor had "declned,"
into the open drawer, shut IL away from his
weary sight ana turned the key In the lock
sGvagely.
Thus he flung the gauntlet into the faces OF
Tho Nine" who turned aside from their
chosen singer with mute sorrow. Hesncied
now that the tide Of his summer sea would
never rise again but there was an influence
destined to bear upon his dead sea world,
aud say To tho sdamautine shores be thou
ciefth That little "rift within the iuts" was
soon to b9 mended and tho music WAS once
moro 10 thi % forth ia Its enhancing sweet
nesa.
Again be sat at his desk aud the manuscript
lay before him bat this time the sunshine
streamed over all tue fairy Taiubows OF
happy promise spAnued each ~el.wrltten
line, aud the songsae WAS born Ia sing were
swelling IN ths detFh sea tide with an echo
sweeter than ever dreamed OF What had
wrought this magic transformation
A o. nj 1tyhI II latf "a
kindness has broken through the sullen can
opy suddenly, and illumined Hisdrsary way;
the helping hand has been reached out 10
him and has touched those long silent chords,
and they had given back symphOny, sweet
~ the bells OF heaven. Ills doubts that had
made him lose the good hs might have won,
were being swept aside by that helping hand;
he had never seen her, bat IN bis thankful.
noss he allowed shs must bo ~ sne good
angel sent 10 cancel his failure, sud help him
work out the problem Of his mission \ let.
ter lay on his desk, la witch she said al
recognize to happy tact that you are poet
from the perusaI OF your poems, whtoH have
read your limos contain much merit please
continue aud will help you"
Blessed words "l Will help y0u," They
brought heaven nearer than IT hAi been Tor
many weary years bo could have fallen
down at her feet, aud wOr.htppei her tor
her timely inspiration, but that was impossl.
bic ho would do bettor, however he would
continue, and thereby show his gratitude, by
doing his best She had not given her AZ.
dress, and the postmaTk was too dim TO be
legibie, ~ he had no idea IRON which direc-
tou bis holp WIS coming 10 matter, II she
had s0"u his Hnsms la the p.s she would bB
watching Tor them IN tho future. "a,
" went by ana be found his pDwsfs
? OF song -, % sing. aud D. began tp look for
ward to th. Oflght iislds o. the promised good
once more. The dreams ui hi- youth came
back now for realization.
!. The helping hand was with him still.
Up, up Tho heights she said "pross
right on and never ia!ter aud Will help you"
OF the name OF his mentor he was nol alto.
gether certain of her residence he was yet
Ignorant but with her heart he was ell Ac-
qusinted, and he had known Tor months that
the kinship Of bis sJui rested with her, who,
over she III .gbt be-
Did be realize how mach too depended on
tits unseen ireud2 What II he, by some
stroke OF fortune, should b1 separated from
her, and bs obliged - 60 hts way alone
lie shuddeTed to think oliL Butwhat ailoi
him WAS TO becoming infatuated with the
tree, easy handw ritiuK OF a woman he had
never seen. Did he really love the soul that
breaihod through the kind letters he had re.
ceired from this unknown correspondent
All that WAS a mss serious question, and
came nearer home than the first
The passionate heart of tho poet il adlOng.
lie must watch himself for she, whoever she
was, might not Condescend to return such
deep emotion Of the soul. Perhaps she bad
never Imagined he was 80 weak perhaps she
was not heart-whOle, either aud he must
guard himself from his own susceptibilities.
Then there came time when she gave him
her full address this was something unusual.
Doubtless she desired an answer from him,
else why had she done thsf
He would write anyway and thank her at
least for hill sho had done for him 1t was her
due, and he was glad OF the privilege OF
doing this, for without her encouragement
where would he have been The letter had
been written, and was gone. He had written
Rusrdedly, fearing his secret might escape
him bis pleasant se1ret OF the old swee.
story, every new. Sho should not know how
much he loved her-not just yet she might
turn away from him now in bis hour of sue.
cess, did she know all. He did not dream
that fair feminine fingers fingered caress.
ingly over his " heartfelt thanks" or that a
womanly soul welcomed the love he Lad let
slip into his timid lines.
The possibility OF her being Old, or unlova-
bic, never had entered his thoughts, al.
though the suggestion had crossed his mind
that she might belong TO another, and he had
felt his heart revolt at the idea He felt,
however, that this woman whom he never
had seen held bis destiny in that hel ping
hand OF hers, and he loved to quote Burns
10 hlmsolt In spite OF his non.experience
But to SEQ her was TO love her,
Love but her, and love forever.
Week followed week, and the encouraged
author bad almost forgotten that he ever
compared himself To poor ReaG and had
designated for his epitaph the word, failure
He had been conscious many times that his
nv nj n. l..Ht.